December 14, 2017

I guess by now you’ve made a stab at starting your Christmas shopping. People everywhere are out there trying their best to find that “perfect gift”.

You know, Jesus’ birthday is a strange celebration. Everybody gives gifts to each other, but seldom do they give one to the One the celebration is FOR! What's up with that?

So, what are you giving Jesus this Christmas? I know, I know….. you’re probably thinking….. “What do you give Someone who already HAS everything?”

Good question.

You can find the answer to that question from the Wise Men who came looking for Jesus. No, I'm not talking about gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold is pretty plentiful this year (if you can afford it), but the other two are a little more hard to track down. We all know the three gifts the Word of God tells us, but if you read between the lines, you'll see some other gifts they gave to the Christ Child......the same gifts that you and I can give Him this Christmas.

You see, everybody who looked into the night sky the time Jesus was born saw nothing but darkness. Well, almost everybody. The Wise Men saw the light. And when they saw that star, they started packing. They came SEEKING JESUS. I mean, REALLY seeking Jesus! They were obsessed with finding the One this light had appeared for.

So, let me ask you. Are you really seeking after Jesus with all of your heart? Is your life consumed with passion for knowing Him and making Him known?

While you’re in a giving mood, why not give God your TIME? The Wise Men did. Before they gave Jesus His “presents”, they first gave Him their “presence”. Bible historians and theologians have researched and discovered that these Wise Men may have traveled as much as TWO YEARS in order to find Jesus! Most people find it hard to give Jesus two HOURS!

So this year, take a break from all the “busyness” of the season, and give Jesus some of your time. Why not find a needy family and help them out with some food or presents for their little ones? There are people in nursing homes who will spend Christmas alone this year, not even having a family member who will come to visit them. Why not turn the TV off and go to a nursing home and visit someone who desperately needs someone to talk to and listen to? If you really want to give Jesus some of your time, why not write some letters to our deployed soldiers who are out there every day laying their lives on the line protecting ours?

Yes, I know, I know…… your time is precious to you. That makes your gift of time to Jesus even MORE valuable!!

When the Wise Men finally found Jesus, they gave Him a gift that He still enjoys today. It's the gift that keeps on giving. The gift of WORSHIP. These were men of wealth, men of influence, men of great intellect….. and what did they do when they saw Jesus? They fell down and worshipped Him!

Smart men! Wise Men!

Worship is the gift that blesses both the receiver and the giver. The purpose of worship isn’t to change God. He never changes! The purpose of worship is to change the worshipper! God wants us to see His face so He can change ours!

When you stand up in your place of worship and sing praises to God, are you really seeking His face? Do you really want to hear from God? Are you desperately wanting Him to change you, or are you satisfied just the way you are?

“Danny, doesn’t God love me just the way I am?"

Oh, yes.

But He loves you much more than that! He loves you so much He won’t allow you to stay the way you are! He wants to change us and make us more like Him!SO -- - this Christmas, let’s give Him the same gifts the Wise Men gave:….. the gifts of HOPE, our TIME, and our WORSHIP. These are gifts those who are wise are still giving today!

May 30, 2017

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

I woke up this morning in Milledgeville, Georgia. I had my quiet time reading my Bible. Then, with my head bowed and eyes closed, I started to pray.

They were words I'd prayed many times before: “Thank You for another day, for waking me up and for this time I have with You.”

Then I fast-forwarded straight from thanking to asking.

"Father, I pray for my friend. Be with him today as he’s recovering from heart surgery. Go before him; take care of all his needs. Be with all the doctors and specialists who are watching over him and give them wisdom. Let them feel your power and presence.”

I prayed for his wife. "She has great financial needs right now, plus the burden of a long recovery ahead. Her burden is heavy. Will You make provisions for her needs?”

I heard a whisper. Not audibly, but that nudging in my heart that I have come to recognize over time as God interacting with me: "Stop asking Me for what I’m already doing!"

I had to do a double-take for a moment. “What, Lord? What did You say?”

I didn't hear a reply, so I continued my prayers.

“Lord, I pray for another friend. You know the loss she has experienced and the pain she has endured. Help her as she faces the battle.”

Then another whisper, "Danny, stop asking Me for what I am already doing!"

I hit the pause button again. This time God kept whispering……..

"I’m already with them ... I’m Emmanuel.""I have their healthcare under control ... I’m Jehovah Rapha.""I’ve already provided what they need ... I’m Jehovah Jireh.""I see the battle they're in. I’m the banner flying over them ... I’m Jehovah Nissi."

Still puzzled by the interrupting whisper, I closed my prayer time with a meaningful "Amen" and got up with the intention of going about the rest of the activities for today.

But then I experienced the "light bulb” of His whisper. I remembered a verse I had read earlier this morning in my quiet time, 2 Peter 1:3, "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

It all became clear. The light bulb clicked on and I finally understood what God was trying to say. If God is providing, then I needed to stop ASKING and start PRAISING.

God's Word always confirms His whispers.

My prayers were becoming tired and mechanical. I wondered if God even heard my prayers. God was challenging me to examine my prayers to find ways He was already working, and then praise Him for how He's already providing for my friends' and loved ones' needs.

Taking God up on this challenge has given me confidence in my prayer life. I know my prayers are being heard and answered.

What if we paused to examine our requests to see how God is already working, then praised Him for what He is already doing?

I know, I know. It's a radical thought. It might mean readjusting our usual prayer time to make room for His whispers. He may ask us to talk less and listen more so we can be more intentional with our prayers.

Maybe God wants to interrupt your prayers, too. He doesn't want you to stop praying, but instead be faithful to press pause and start praising.

March 28, 2017

“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife . . . and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26).

God calls us to a total commitment—nothing less will do.

He called Abraham to complete devotion…… the same was true for Moses, David, all of the disciples, and the apostle Paul. We can’t be halfhearted in our love for the Lord and expect to fully experience His joy and peace in our lives. In fact, until we make a full, uncompromising commitment to Him, there will always be distracting factors at work in our lives. We’ll constantly be tempted to step away from His very best for us.

In order to be His disciple, we have to be willing to deny—not only yourself and your personal desires and passions—but also your love for anyone or anything that could possibly take His place in your heart. Nothing can be more important than Him.

For many people, this concept is hard to accept. They want to say, “Lord, surely You don’t want me to give up my only dream for the future?” Or, “Lord, I really want to marry this person. I love her. I know she’s not a believer, but I need her. Besides, if I walked away, who would help her know You? Isn’t my love for her a testimony about Your love for us?”

To make her point clear, a Christian counselor climbed up on a chair and asked her client to pull her down. The object lesson? It is easy to pull someone down but next to impossible to pull another up—especially if that person resists the truth. God wants you to be solely devoted to Him so that He can bless you with His very best.

The enemy of your soul, however, wants you to settle for much less. In fact, his goal is for you to step out of God’s will through disobedience. He knows if you do, you’ll not only miss a blessing, but your life will become shrouded with feelings of guilt and disappointment. When that happens you become ineffective as a witness for Christ. God has a great plan in mind for you. When you dedicate yourself fully to Him, you’ll begin to see it unfold.

March 24, 2017

Computers are awesome things. They save us so much time (when they're up and running), and they waste so much time when they crash! I'm very familiar with the crashing part! (Can you say "backup drive?) :)

However, there are some things I take issue with my computer. It's very bad about doing what I tell it to do, and not what I want it to do. You know what I mean. Sometimes my fingers get to going so fast that I don't even realize that instead of hitting the "Tab" key, I hit the cAPS LOCK BUTTON BY MISTAKE AND WHEN I LOOK UP AT THE SCREEN AFTER A FEW LINES, I NOTICE THAT I HAVE ALL THESE HUGE LETTERS IN UPPERCASE INSTEAD OF WHAT I WANTED TO SEE ON THE SCREEN. SO, I HIT THE CAps button again, and correct the error. I believe this a new techno-disease called "S.F.S." (Stupid Finger Syndrome). I'm eat UP WITH IT....(OOPS! DID IT AGAIN)! THEre. That's better.

Stupid computer.

I know, I know. I shouldn't blame the computer. Sometimes I tell people there's a loose nut on my keyboard. Still, my computer is just a box filled with wires and circuit boards and hard drives. How arrogant of me to think that it can read my mind. Still, you'd think with all the new technology out there that someone would invent a PC that could do that, especially when you consider how expensive they are!

Still..... a computer doesn't think. It doesn't question. You hit a key, you get a response. Yes, computers are legalistic and impersonal. Learn the operating system, use the proper procedures, evade all the little pop-up "error windows" and you can enjoy the many benefits of using a PC. But, on the other hand, don't follow procedures, overload your system, crash the hard drive, open a contaminated email with a virus...... and you'll see a grown man cry! (It's not pretty).

Let's face it. Computers are cold, cruel, and heartless. Compassion? Forget that. Why do you think it's called a "hard drive"? You'll stand a better chance of herding cats from Texas to Arizona than you will in getting your computer to forgive you for that last "fatal error". Computers go by the old South Georgia saying, "What goes in the well comes out in the bucket".

So.... let's switch from your PC to JC (with “JC” being “Jesus Christ”). When it comes to a relationship with God, people tend to think of Him the same way they think about their computer. They think that God is the ultimate PC. The Bible becomes the "User Manual". As for the Holy Spirit, He's relegated to the role of "CD-ROM". Jesus handles the tech support.

So many people today think of God this way. If they push the right buttons and follow the proper sequence, ...... abracadabra.....instant salvation! Isn't that how most people think it's done? Conditional Christianity. If we do OUR part, then God (The ultimate PC) will do HIS. That's why so few people even bother to pray anymore. Why should they? After all, they control the keyboard!

High tech religion. No more praying. No need to kneel. No tears. No attitude of grattitude. No emotions. Just go from day to day..... boot up the PC when it's needed. Then, power down and put the laptop away in the briefcase until it's needed again.

No problems....... until you mess up. All at once you discover you hit "Delete" instead of "Save", or caPS LOCK INSTEAD OF Tab, or someone has hacked into your system, or a virus has locked up your system and fried your hard drive. What about a power surge that's not protected? Too bad. You're on your own.

Fact is.... God isn't anything like a PC. He's our Heavenly Father, not a motherboard. Don't treat God like a PC.... something you can switch on or off when you need it only to get what you want. God hates being treated that way. He desires a relationship, not a ritual. He's more concerned with people than He is with procedures.

February 18, 2017

You and I were made to bear fruit. For the Christian, our “fruit” is changed lives... our own, and others. Yet some believers’ lives are “barren” for long stretches of time, bearing no fruit at all.

One day a young man was passing by the apple orchards of his neighbor and witnessed a strange thing: the neighbor was driving nails in some of the trees that were not bearing fruit. He watched in curiosity as this farmer approached a barren tree and drove four large, rusty nails into the base of the tree, north, south, east and west. Then he moved higher on the trunk of the same tree and repeated the process. When the young man questioned the neighbor, he told the boy, “Just wait until next spring. You’ll understand it then.”

When spring rolled around, the young man returned only to find that the apple tree with nails produced the biggest, reddest apples he had ever seen.

The farmer said, “You see, those rusty nails remind the tree that it was made to produce apples. Sometimes it forgets.”

Some of us need a jolt to remember that we were made to produce good fruit for the kingdom of God. And sometimes pain or hardship is the “nail” that reminds us. You’d be surprised at how many of us bloom and bear fruit in places where we once felt the sting of a nail.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.(Proverbs 11:30)

December 31, 2016

"Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; and Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered." (Psalm 40:5)

One of my favorite verses about what God says concerning the future is Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

These words were given to the Israelites while they were in captivity in Babylon. They saw no future. They thought they would be captives forever. But God was saying, “No, actually not forever. It will last for 70 years. I warned you. You kept turning to idols. And now you are reaping what you have sown. But one day you will get out of Babylon. You will return to your homeland. So I know the thoughts I think toward you,. . .thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

I love that for so many reasons.

For one, notice that God doesn’t say, “I know the thought I ONCE had toward you.” I don’t know about you, but the realization that God Almighty, the Creator of the universe, would have a single thought about me would be more than enough.

Just one thought. Just one! I thought about Danny. I am done with him now. I am on to other things. But He DID think about me for a moment.

And He says, “I know the THOUGHTS that I think toward you” — more than one. I don't deserve a single blessing from God, let alone numerous blessings!

Also, they are thoughts of peace, not of evil. They're good thoughts to give you a future and a hope. The word future in Jeremiah 29:11 also could be translated “an expected end” or “a ground of hope” or “things hoped for".

November 01, 2016

"And I would see that I’m precious, and I would know that I’m prized. ’Cause I know your love never changes, if I could look through your eyes." —(from the song “If I Could Look Through Your Eyes” by Andrew Martin).

Fashion model and blogger Lauren Scruggs gained international fame in 2011, but not in a way any parent would want. After taking a plane flight to see Christmas lights around Dallas, she exited the aircraft and walked into its propeller. Doctors couldn’t save her left eye or hand.

At first, Lauren was angry, even falling into despair. But her father, Jeff, read the Bible to her and reminded her that God had a plan for her life.

Healing took time. Lauren went from seeing herself as ugly to seeing herself through God’s eyes: “I think I’m seeing that this life is way bigger than me and that a lot of things that I held important earlier, even in my career, were quite shallow,” Lauren said.

As parents, you may sometimes feel that you have a better plan for your children. One that avoids pain and hardships. Or perhaps you have different dreams for them—maybe to be a successful doctor or accountant— so you steer them in those directions rather than humbling yourself before the Lord to discover His plan.

Trying to improve on God’s plan for your child is like trying to improve a Picasso using a Sharpie. You’re going to mess up a masterpiece.

God wants you to view your children through His eyes. Only He knows the best way for them to live fulfilled and abundant lives.

October 31, 2016

Praise truth # 31: When we praise the Lord for what He has done, we are also praising Him for His promises and plans that are yet to be fulfilled on earth, knowing that they are already settled in Heaven.

“O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name; for You have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and true.” — Isaiah 2

It's such an incredible privilege to know the God of all creation! He's our God! He's given Himself to us in the person of Jesus and in His Word and His promises, which will all be fulfilled.

He's given Himself for us as Christ emptied Himself of His majesty to come to earth as a baby and live a sinless life, finally laying down His life as a sacrifice for the sins of all.

He continues to give all that He is through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit in our hearts and through the fulfillment of every promise of and plan of old, faithful and true.

Unchanging in His love for us, He's continued to do wonderful things in the world and in our hearts and lives. The scope of His care for us and for all of creation will be fully revealed when we see all of those plans and promises fulfilled. In Christ, all of the promises of God are already “yes”and “amen” (2nd Corinthians 1:20). The resurrection of Christ is the guarantee of fulfillment for every promise of God.

Only when we see all of God’s promises fulfilled will we fully know all of the “wonderful things” for which we praise God even now. We praise Him for the past, for the present moment, and for the certain promise of an eternal life that is beyond human imagination. He holds all of time in His hands, just as He holds you and me. Exalt Him, and praise His name!

“For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God.” – (2nd Corinthians 1:20, Amplified Bible)

Memory Challenge: Praise the Lord with the words of Psalm 100 and Psalm 150.

Praise the Lord!

I pray God's richest blessings on you for your commitment to praise! I hope you have a clearer picture of how much you are loved and of how much our love and praise, returned to God, means to Him.

Continue in praise from day to day. The Lord will bless your commitment to Him and meet you there.

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the Lord!” — Psalm 106:48

Thank you for your faithfulness in choosing to worship the Lord and seek Him through these 31 days of praise. Let praise continue! “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” – Hebrews 13:15

October 30, 2016

Praise truth # 30: Praise is happening all around the world at all times!

“They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the Lord they shout from the west. Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord: in the coastlands of the sea, to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One.” — Isaiah 24:14 – 16a

Do you hear it? The praises of the saints are being sung and shouted and expressed by people all over the world who love the Lord and have experienced His salvation. They're lifting up their voices, singing for joy, and shouting over God’s majesty.

Our awareness of this worldwide symphony of praise in countless languages comes with a condition. “Therefore”… our response should be…to “give glory to the Lord, to the name of the Lord”. Join in the song of Heaven’s choirs. Join with the voices of people all over the world, from the ends of the earth. Sing songs of praise and of glory to the Righteous One.

Praise Him for His majesty today. Praise Him for the people He has redeemed. Praise Him for his goodness. Praise the Righteous One. ' Praise the Lord!

Memory Challenge: Recite Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 as you praise the Lord today. Think about what your praise Psalm would say if you were to write a personal prescription for praise for yourself or for your family.

My praise Psalm might go something like this:

“Praise the Lord! Praise Him wherever you are. Praise God when you get up in the morning to get ready for the day. Praise Him when you go to school or when you run to play. Praise God when you are with your brothers and when you are alone. Praise God at church; Praise God at home. Think of God and praise him all day long. Praise Him with a thank you song. Praise God when it is time for slumber; Count your blessings…what a number! Praise the Lord! Praise Him everywhere you go, Praise Him for all of the love that you know. For our God is so good. His promises are true. His love lasts forever. His mercies are new. Praise Him with your family. Praise Him with your friends. His love lasts forever. His grace never ends. Praise the Lord!”

(Your Praise Psalm doesn’t have to be poetic. Mine just came out that way. Just make sure that it reflects your personal opportunities to Praise the Lord, some reasons to praise Him, and your intention to do just that.)

October 29, 2016

Praise truth # 29: “Praise the Lord!” is not a suggestion. It's a command.

The message of Psalm 150: Praise the Lord! “Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty firmament; praise Him for His mighty deeds! Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp! Praise Him with timbrel and dance; praise Him with strings and pipe! Praise Him with sounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” — Psalm 150:1 – 6 (all verses)

Ten times in the six verses that make up Psalm 150, we are told to “praise God”, “praise Him”, or “praise the Lord”. The “WHY” of praise that's mentioned here (for His mighty deeds) is certainly reason enough to praise God with all that we are.

We're told HOW to praise Him: “according to His excellent greatness” and with all of the instruments and the implied exuberance that are mentioned in the Psalm.

We're told WHERE to praise Him: “in His sanctuary” and “in His mighty firmament”. The two locations that are mentioned for praise to God are interesting because I believe that these locations represent the dwelling place of God. When it comes to our own praise, the physical location for our praise could certainly be inside a house or center of worship (church), which would correspond to one interpretation of the word “sanctuary”. The playing of all of the instruments mentioned here may also indicate that the Psalmist is talking about praising God in a corporate worship time, which we certainly need to do as well.

However, since God is everywhere and is, at the same time, on His throne, the location of His presence is a rather mysterious concept. Most importantly, our praises should be genuine and thereby reach the heart of God no matter where we are. Whether you are in a workplace, your home, in a public gathering place, or in a place of worship, your genuine praise glorifies the Lord. His presence is with you in that place, and His presence also fills the mighty firmament. God can remain on His throne while also fulfilling His promise to be in our midst any time that we gather in His name.

The heart of our praise is always most important and matters much more than our physical location or our understanding of where God is. Like a parent who is pleased when His child expresses appreciation for parental love and care, God is pleased when we praise Him more for what our genuine praise says about who we are becoming than for any other reason.

When our understanding of God’s loving heart allows us to genuinely praise Him, we become more like Christ, whose most important task was to bring glory to God through fulfilling the divine purpose for His earthly life.

4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” – John 17:4-5

The Psalmist also speaks of playing instruments and even dancing for joy as well. If there are instruments that you can play in genuine praise, do so. I love to play the guitar while leading in the 11:11 Worship with the UNLEASHED band. I also enjoy playing the piano or other keyboards. You may want to sit at the piano and play a hymn or sing along with Christian radio in your car or with a CD at home.

Whether an individual is praising the Lord in any location or whether we are meeting together for the purpose of corporate worship and praise, we obviously are supposed to praise God with enthusiasm. We should not be more excited about a win by our favorite team than we are by thinking about God’s power and mercy and grace and patience (long-suffering) and His infinite love, so freely given.

So, praise Him with joy and abandon (even dancing with joy!… you know, your happy dance!). Praise him with your whole heart and being. Make some noise! Praise Him because He is great and because He does great things. Praise Him in congregational worship and family worship and private worship. As long as you are breathing, praise the Lord!

Memory Challenge: How are you doing on memorizing Psalm 150? Are you still saying both Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 every day? Put in a little extra time, and make sure that you have both Psalms (all 11 verses) memorized by the end of the month. You can do it! When you have them memorized, begin working on Psalm 100 in your family worship times so that your entire family can learn it, too!